Transform Scotland
NEWS RELEASE
Tuesday 17 June 2014
ELGIN COMMUNITY COUNCIL GETS ON BOARD PUSH FOR BETTER RAIL SERVICES:
Inter-City Express campaign gets first North-East member group
Transform Scotland, the national alliance for sustainable transport, has today (Tuesday 17 June) welcomed the addition of Elgin Community Council as the latest member of the ‘Inter-City Express’ campaign. [1] [2]
George Littlejohn from The City and Royal Burgh of Elgin Community Council (C&RB of ECC) said:
“We are pleased to support the Inter-City Express campaign’s push for a much upgraded dedicated network of inter-city rail routes with upgraded infrastructure and rolling stock. This would greatly assist in bringing a 21st century railway to our major Scottish cities.
“The Aberdeen–Elgin–Inverness main line is very much part of the Scottish inter-city network, now and in future years. We need to see a much superior railway for the people of Scotland’s North-East and North, and equally for rail being used for freight haulage to a much greater degree than at present.”
Transform Scotland rail campaigner Paul Tetlaw said:
“The Inter-City Express campaign aims to ensure that Scotland’s rail network connecting the cities north of the Central Belt is made fit for purpose for the 21st century. Currently the network is Victorian in nature with large sections of single track, all operated by diesel trains. Inverness is approached by single track from all directions as is Aberdeen from Inverness. As such, we are delighted to be joined in the campaign by Elgin Community Council.
“Whilst the Scottish Government have some welcome plans for improvements these are frankly tinkering at the margins compared to their multi-billion pound spending plans for the road network between the cities. The stated aim that rail should be able to compete with road will never become reality unless we see a similar level of ambition for the rail network. If dualling is good enough for the roads then it is equally so for the railway.”
The C&RB of ECC have published a detailed commentary on necessary rail improvements in the North-East. [3] This is available on request.
ENDS
**NOTES TO EDITORS:
[1] Transform Scotland
Transform Scotland is the national sustainable transport alliance, bringing together rail, bus and shipping operators, local authorities, national environment and conservation groups, businesses and local transport groups – see <http://www.transformscotland.org.uk/members.aspx> for details.
[2] Inter-City Express campaign
The Inter-City Express programme would transform rail travel, bringing all seven of Scotland’s cities closer together – with a safe, civilised and sustainable mode of transport. The key features of the programme are to:
• Extend planned electrification from Perth to Dunblane, in conjunction with doubling and electrifying the largely single-track Inverness-Perth railway – transforming its capacity and capability for both passenger and freight traffic.
• Reduce journey times from Inverness, Aberdeen and Dundee to the Central Belt through electrification and extensive doubling of the network.
• Take the long-neglected single track rail line from Aberdeen to Inverness into the 21st Century.
• Build and electrify a new direct rail link from Perth to Edinburgh, slashing up to 35 minutes off journey times from Inverness and Perth to Edinburgh.
• Create a new Inter-City rail hub at Perth station – the catalyst for transport connectivity and urban regeneration.
‘Inter-City Express’ is a joint campaign set up by Transform Scotland, Rail Freight Group, Capital Rail Action Group, Friends of the Far North Line, and the Scottish Association for Public Transport in an attempt to redress this imbalance.
See <http://transformscotland.org.uk/intercityexpress/> for further information.
[3] ECC rail paper
The City and Royal Burgh of Elgin Community Council (C&RB of ECC) has prepared an 11-page paper which concentrates on the City of Elgin, Scotland’s North-East and the North, specifically based on what the ECC feel are the necessary upgrades for infrastructure and rolling stock in order to allow the peoples of these important areas of Scotland to travel to and from mid Scotland and the Central Belt and beyond seamlessly, efficiently, and in comfort.
The ECC paper includes the request for an a.m. and p.m. rush hour service from Elgin to / from Aberdeen Monday/ Friday, by capturing the populations of Keith / Huntly / Insch / Inverurie and Dyce, whose train travelling numbers have steadily increased over the past ten years.
The ECC also see Elgin Rail Yard as an overnight train storage facility and a staff depot that will facilitate far less dead mileage from Inverness, and a future rolling stock stabling point for the Elgin / Aberdeen side of the schedule.
END OF NEWS RELEASE